Mail-transferring apparatus.



l- MCGRATH.

MA". TRANSFERRING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT- 14. 1915- 7 1,202,300. Patented ()ct. 24,1916.

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J. McGRATH.

MAIL TRANSFERRING APPARATUS.

APPLlCATION FILED SEPT- 14. 1915.

1 02,300. Patented Oct. 24, 1916.

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top plan view of the apparatus, the railway mail car upon whichthe delivery means is I mounted being shown in section; Fig. 2, is a 'ation.

JOSEPH MoGRA'II-I, or neivrnno, ILLINOIS.

MAIL-TRANSFERRING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented 0041.24, 1916.

Application filed September 14, 1915. Serial No. 50,681.

and useful Improvements in Mail-Transferring' Apparatus, of which the following is a. specification.

My invention relates to mail transferring apparatus and contemplatesa novel con "struction, combination and arrangement of parts more particularly hereinafter def scribed and specifically pointed out'in the claims.

In'the drawings annexed: Figure 1, is a view'in side elevation of the receiving portion of the apparatus; Fig.2, is a view in side elevation of the delivery means; Fig. 3, is a vertical longitudinal section taken through the receiving device illustrated in Fig. 2.

Like numerals of reference designate l ke or corresponding parts throughout the sev- "eral views.

Referring now to the drawings by numerals, 1 designates the railway mail car, 2 as an entirety the delivery means, and 3v as an entirety the receiving means.

The delivery means in its preferred ems -bod1ment may be said to consist ofanarm or crane '41 pivoted as at 5 interiorly ofthe mail car 1 and at one side of a door opening 6 formed therein. A casting 7 fastened as at 8 to the car 1 acts as a bearing support for the arm or crane 4 that the latter may be swung (as indicated by the dotted line in Fig. 1) into and out of a position for oper- A spring 9 is mounted in such proximity to said arm or crane as to act as an abutment therefor whereby the stress and strain incident to mail transfer operations is materially reduced and the shock partially if not wholly absorbed. I

The outer extremity of the arm e is eX- tended rearwardly and at a right angle as indicated at 10 to terminate in an. enlargement 11 which, when taken in connection with said extension 10 may be said to constitute the stationary retaining jaw of the delivery means.

For reference hereinafter, the stationary retaining jaw is designated as an entirety by the numeral 12.

movable jaw 18 pivoted as at 14 to the stationary jaw 12 is mounted to coact with the latter in supportingthe mail matter in a position permitting deliverythereof. An enlargement 15 (like the enlargement 11) is formed at the. free end of the movable jaw to normally contact with said enlarge- "ment 11. spring 16 arranged to embrace a. pin 17 acts as a means, whereby the jaws.

12 and 13 are yieldingly maintainedin engaging proximity. Said pin 17 also affordsa means whereby the mail. bagsupport designated as an. entiretyfby the numeral 18 is removably held to extend from the crane or arm 4;, d-uring'a delivery I operation, in a substantially horizontal plane. lsaid support'18 comprises a shank 19 annularly grooved as indicated at 20, an enlargement 21jand an extension 22, the

.latterhaving a slot or opening 23 formed therein whereby to receive the enlargements '11 and 15 of'the coacting retaining ,jaws

2 and 13 hereinbeforedescribed; A ring 24 is mounted on the shank 19 to fit the recess 20 therein, said ring having a mail bag (indicated by the dotted lines) detachably secured thereto. a

In assembling'the mail bag upon the arm or crane prior to a delivery thereof to the.

stationary support or receiving means. 3, the

jaws 12 and 13 are separated against tension of thespring. 16, enlarg'ements, 15 and 11 [made to contact and to fit the opening 23 therefor at one end of the shank. the extension 22 of the shank fitting beneaththe pin 17 to engage therewith and through such engagementmaintainthe support 18 in the posltlon desired. In a delivery operation, the enlargement 21 of the support is to con tact with the receiving means, and by reason of such contact, the jaws 12 and 13 will be eparated or spread and the mail bag with its support 18 released with respect tofthe arm or crane 4:, said mail bag, when thus released, being held until later removed by the receiving means 3.

' Coming now to a description of the receiving means, 25 designates a substantially rectangular frame. That side ofthe frame toward the mail car is open to permit pas sage of the delivery means therethrougli. Guide plates 26, extending in divergent relation from a point midway the terminals of the frame act to. direct the mail matter to be delivered against bumpers 27 mounted in oppose relation 1.9 he ti l Yielding movement. Springs 28 normally maintain the bumpers 27 in an extended position, the mentioned springs abutting at one end the said bumpers and at their opposite end abutment blocks 29 secured to a central cross beam (of the channel beam type) forming a part of the receiving frame. One channel bar or beam 30 is located at the forward side of the frame and another at the rear side thereof, the former, forward bar being divided intermediate its ends to provide a passage for the delivery means during a transfer operation.

In operation, the crane 4 is swung into the position illustrated in Fig. 1 before the mail car 1 shall have approached the receiving means 3. With the mail bag suspended from the delivery means as'hereinbefore'pointed out, and the arm extended as illustrated,; it is evident that. the enlargement 2lofthe support 18 will contact with the guide plates 26 of the machineand the arm or crane 4 with the bumpers 27. I As the bumpers yield the arm or crane will pass the receiving means while the enlarge- 'ment, by reason of its size, will-so contact with the guide plates 26, as to cause the v jaws 12" and 13 to separate against tension 1 with the accompanying drawings it will be;

of'sprin'g 16 and the support'lS to be grasped'by the bumpers'27 that'the mail matter delivered to the stationary support besecurely held until subsequently removed.

From the foregoing, taken in connection further noted that mail mattermay be'delivered regardless of the direction of travel of the mail car 1, that the platesa26-not only act as aguide for the delivered mail but also as a means precluding passage of the support 18 beyond the receiving means, and that the bumpers 27 subsequent to passage of I the arms 4 therebeyond,will immediately recede to grasp the shank of the support and in this manner hold the V delivered mail the form of my invention, illustrated in the drawings and referred to in the above description, as the preferred embodiment, is the most efiicient and practical, yet realizing that the conditions concurrent with ithe adoptionof my device will necessarily v'ary, I desire to emphasize the fact that various r minor changes in details of construction, proportion and arrangement of parts may be groove provided in the shank for receiving the ring of the mail sack, oppositely disposed webs on the shank, and stationary receiving means adapted to be engaged by the webs to retain the support and the mail sack subsequent to the interchange. a

2. In a mail delivery apparatus,'a supporting crane movable into and out of a position for operation, a stationary jaw formed at the outer extremity of said crane, a movable j aw pivoted to said stationary jaw, spring means normally maintaining said jaws in proximity, a support for the mail bag provided with an opening for the reception of said jaws, an extension formed on said support, and a retaining pin conjunctively utilizable as a means to engage with said extension and maintain the support in a horizontal plane, and as a means to mount said spring.

v In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH MoGRATH.

Witnesses:

MIKE WELSH, L. M. LAROCQUE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for live cents each, by addressing the 0ommiss1oner of Patents, I

. V Washington, D. G. 

